Filmed primarily on Long Island  the birthplace of the post-WWII suburban American Dream  this 54-minute film documents the challenges and frustrations facing several unemployed or under-employed people who are trying to land new jobs and make ends meet in the face of increasingly daunting odds. Starting in the summer of 2010, a time which many hoped would usher in an era of recovery, and continuing through the holiday season six months later, Emmy® Award-winning filmmakers Marc Levin and Daphne Pinkerson chronicle the growing difficulties and despair as several suburban men and women search in vain for employment, their dignity eroding and their plight largely ignored by politicians and businesses. The subjects in Hard Times put a human face on the shocking national statistics, as the growing number of long-term unemployed Americans impacts consumer spending, home mortgages, and the shrinking middle class.

This is a raw, gritty look at the economic devastation of an entire nation. The characters are so real that you can't help but become emotionally invested in them. This forces the viewer to examine their own lives and priorities.